Healthy Habit: Peer Support

The Fremont PD Peer Support Team holds incredible value, credibility, and importance for all employees. The team provides emotional, social, and practical support to police personnel during times of personal or professional crisis. Our peer support team has been an integral part of sustaining employee wellness for decades. We have been fortunate to have a team of professionally trained individuals who have dedicated themselves to the well-being of our employees and have done it all with impeccable pride, care, and empathy. It’s also important to note that our team occupies a niche that can’t be duplicated or filled by health plan counseling services or an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – the support is different from that of professional therapists. The critical difference is in the power of the peer. Peer support complements and augments psychological services for a holistic approach to mental health and helps contribute to an overall wellness plan for employees. 

Our program has been successful and has helped employees through a variety of complex personal and professional challenges due to the emphasis on confidentiality. Promoting trust and ensuring privacy is the bedrock of supporting employees. Members of the peer support team all agree to maintain confidentiality, are empathetic, and possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Their skillset reaches beyond critical incidents – they can be leaned on for personal struggles occurring outside the walls of the police department. Fremont PD employees who are healthy in mind and body will serve themselves, their partners, their community, and their family in far superior ways.  

The Fremont PD Peer Support Team is structured, focused, and dedicated to helping employees manage the stressors of policing, the cumulative effects of work-related stress, and the trauma associated with critical incidents. Please feel free to reach out to any team member when you’re in need. As a reminder, the contact information for every member can be found in the Cordico app.   

Stay safe and be well,
Captain John Harnett